Newt Scamander was getting ready to leave.
Before his departure, his only lingering concern was the young wizard who, admittedly, didn't have the greatest natural aptitude for standard charms.
Studying spatial magic alone wasn't exactly safe. So, as dusk fell, Newt sent a letter off to Hogwarts.
Based on the boy's performance yesterday, he had only just mastered atmospheric charms. He certainly hadn't had the time to configure the expanded space created by the Undetectable Extension Charm.
That was an Alchemy-based process that required a massive investment of time. Even for Newt, stabilizing a magical habitat of three hundred square meters would take at least two weeks.
Moonlight spilled over the quiet Ilvermorny forest.
Sean walked through the woods, checking his interface as he went:
[High-Tier · Book of the Wizard: Apprentice Level (10/300)]
The completed Book of the Wizard was indeed a high-tier alchemical artifact. Without Mr. Scamander's guidance, Sean suspected he would have spent ages trying to figure out the spatial charms on his own.
Thankfully, he had managed to finish it just before the Hufflepuff alumnus left. Now, Sean's final mission was to swipe the Wampus cat.
He didn't know if Headmistress Herrera would agree to it...
But regardless, Sean decided to find the cat first. After all, over the last few days, their affinity had quietly risen to [Moderately Friendly].
Amidst the soft sound of falling snow, only the light from the young wizard's wand pierced the darkness of the Ilvermorny forest.
Soon, Sean spotted a pair of yellow eyes glowing in the inky depth.
With a few bounds, the large cat—resembling a mountain lion—landed right at Sean's feet.
Sean quickly tapped the Book of the Wizard, using a Summoning Charm to pull out some raw meat and fruit.
He offered the meat, then quietly reached out to stroke the big cat. He scratched its chin, massaged the base of its ears, and smoothed the fur along its back...
Before long, the Wampus cat rolled over, exposing its belly.
[You have gained the affection of the Magical Creature: Wampus Cat (Unnamed) at an Expert standard. Affinity +50]
"Do you want to go inside and take a look? There's plenty of food, and it's warm," Sean said, quickly opening the internal space of the Book of the Wizard.
The Wampus cat let out a purr. Sean knew she was saying, "Okay."
"Alright then, follow me."
Sean started walking forward, completely glossing over the fact that he could understand the cat's vocalizations.
In the wizarding world, direct communication with animals was usually reserved for specific magical bloodlines, like Parselmouths or the Dumbledore family line. Aside from that, only Animagi could understand animals of their own transformed species—and typically only after they had transformed.
Sean, however, seemed to be a special case.
When the realization finally hit him, his Soul Hallows emitted a faint glow. He guessed it might be a side effect of his Soul Transformation abilities.
---
Meanwhile, not far away.
Beneath the canopy of a snow-laden beech tree, two tall figures stood watching.
"In 1832, a wizard from Cincinnati named Abel Treetops claimed he had tamed Wampus cats to guard wizarding homes," Headmistress Herrera said slowly. "But for a magical creature as intelligent as a Wampus cat, that's essentially impossible. later, I had MACUSA raid Treetops' home. Sure enough, we found him casting Engorgement Charms on Kneazles. The man was a fraud."
She looked toward the Wampus cat and the young wizard in the snow, seemingly in a good mood. "My dear Newt, the animals of Ilvermorny forest are free spirits. You and I both know that. But aside from you, I've never seen anyone capable of leading a Wampus cat away."
"His Undetectable Extension Book isn't finished yet," Newt said, offering a shy, somewhat unrelated comment.
"It sounds like you believe our dear Mr. Hermes is equally gifted with magical beasts?" Headmistress Herrera blinked.
Newt stroked the Kneazle in his arms, smiled, and said nothing.
But then, under the moonlight, their gazes locked onto the same spot.
A book suddenly expanded, transforming into a massive wooden door. Through the opening, they could faintly see a wooden cabin, and beyond that, a sprawling landscape of fields and forests.
"You said Mr. Green's extension book wasn't finished?" Herrera sounded astonished. "My dear, that is the first time I've ever heard you lie."
Beside her, Mr. Scamander was stunned.
He distinctly remembered that the boy had only learned the weather charms yesterday. And as of yesterday, the inside of that book was completely empty.
"You don't look so good," Herrera observed, looking at her old friend with amusement.
"One night..." Newt gave a helpless smile.
Sometimes he felt that certain wizards simply defied all logic and common sense.
"Dear Mr. Hermes... how long did it take him?" Herrera couldn't wait to ask.
Newt held up a finger.
"A week? Oh, that is still incredible." Herrera narrowed her eyes, the corners of her mouth lifting.
Newt didn't seem annoyed by the interruption; he was used to his old friend's dynamic.
"A day?!" Herrera gasped.
"One night," Newt finished quickly, realizing he was about to be interrupted again.
"So... what are the odds I can keep Mr. Green here?" Herrera gripped her wand, her eyes burning with interest.
Now it was Newt's turn to smile shyly. Her words reminded him of another Headmaster across the Atlantic.
"Alright, I'm just joking." Herrera raised an eyebrow. Seeing her old friend smile, she laughed as well.
Although they weren't whispering, the young wizard in the distance didn't hear a thing.
He walked toward the large door, but the Wampus cat beat him to it, bounding inside with two quick leaps.
---
Inside Sean's cabin, there were a few photographs, a warm, comfortable bed, and a wardrobe. Aside from the furniture, the room was filled with manuscripts and books.
Right next to the cabin was a food storage area surrounded by a small stream.
Sean waved his wand, and the door to the storage opened. The Wampus cat was immediately surrounded by various cuts of raw meat.
She let out a massive, rumbling purr. Affinity rose by another 50 points.
As she hugged a piece of meat and began to eat, Sean pondered how to build her a proper den. More importantly, his Book of the Wizard needed management and maintenance; he couldn't stay inside it forever.
"Mr. Wampus, do you have a name?" Sean asked, seizing the moment.
"Prrr-ghhh," the cat grumbled through a mouthful of food.
"Sorry, Ms. Wampus," Sean corrected. "How about... Ilva?"
The fireplace crackled warmly; the atmosphere was quiet and peaceful.
But back outside, in the Ilvermorny forest...
The smiles on Newt and Headmistress Herrera's faces slowly froze.
---
(Note: "Mr. Hermes" appears to be a playful nickname or reference used by Herrera for Sean/Green, possibly referencing the messenger god or a specific role he plays.)